1 YEAR BIBLE: WEEK 45 (NOV. 2-8)
Stage 3: Redemption & Stage 4: Restoration
Verse of the week to live by: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” (John 14:1)
Nov. 2; Stage 3: Redemption
Mark 12; Matt. 23; Luke 20
- Mark 12: What does the vineyard represent, and how does this parable connect with Isaiah 5:1–7?
- Matt. 23: Why did Jesus tell the crowds and His disciples to practice what the scribes and Pharisees taught, but not imitate their actions?
- Luke 20: Why did the chief priests, scribes, and elders challenge Jesus' authority to teach in the temple?
Nov. 3; Stage 3: Redemption
Luke 21; Mark 13; Matt. 24-25
- Luke 21: Why did Jesus draw attention to the poor widow rather than the wealthy people who contributed large offerings?
- Mark 13: What do the descriptions of the sun, moon, stars, and heavenly powers communicate about the significance of these events? (vv. 24–27)
- Matt. 25: What did Jesus mean when He declared, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you” (v. 12)?
Nov. 4; Stage 3: Redemption
Matt. 26; Mark 14; Luke 22
- Matt. 26: What does Peter's confidence teach us about the danger of relying on our own strength rather than God's grace?
- Mark 14: Why did the chief priests and scribes seek to arrest Jesus secretly and put Him to death?
- Luke 22: What was the significance of the Passover celebration in Israel's history, and how did it point forward to Jesus Christ?
Nov. 5; Stage 3: Redemption
John 13-15
- John 13: How does Jesus' statement, “A servant is not greater than his master” (v. 16), challenge worldly ideas about greatness and leadership?
- John 14: Why did Jesus emphasize that the purpose of answered prayer is that the Father may be glorified in the Son?
- John 15: What did Jesus mean when He declared, “I am the true vine” (v. 1)?
Nov. 6; Stage 3: Redemption
John 16-17
- John 16: John 16 begins with Jesus warning His disciples about persecution and ends with His promise of peace and victory. How does the chapter teach us to face suffering with confidence in Christ and dependence upon the Holy Spirit?
- John 17: How does Jesus' prayer for the disciples' unity reflect the relationship between the Father and the Son?
- John 17: John 17 begins with Jesus praying for His own glorification and concludes with His desire that His people share in His presence and behold His glory. What does this reveal about the ultimate purpose of God's redemptive plan?
Nov. 7; Stage 3: Redemption
Mark 15; Luke 23; John 18-19
- Mark 15: Who was Barabbas, and why was he imprisoned?
- Luke 23: Why did the religious leaders bring Jesus before Pilate, and what accusations did they make against Him?
- John 18: Why did the religious leaders bring Jesus before the Roman governor rather than carry out their own sentence?
Introduction to Stage 4: Restoration
- The Story of the Bible (Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration):
- Creation: On January 1, 2026, we began reading the Bible together as one unfolding story—a story that begins with God creating the heavens and the earth and declaring His work very good. He made human beings in His image to know Him, reflect His character, care for His world, and live in loving fellowship with Him and one another. In Eden, we see life as God intended: His people dwelling in His presence, enjoying His provision, and living under His gracious rule. Creation establishes the foundation for the entire biblical story: we belong to God and were made for fellowship with Him.
- The Fall: Then, we read how that fellowship was broken when Adam and Eve disobeyed His command. Sin brought guilt, shame, alienation, suffering, and death into human experience. Its effects spread through every relationship—with God, with one another, and with creation itself. As the biblical story unfolds, violence, idolatry, injustice, and even Israel’s covenant unfaithfulness reveal the depth of humanity’s need. Yet God did not abandon His creation. Even in judgment, He showed mercy and promised that the offspring of the woman would defeat the serpent. The fall helps us understand both the brokenness of our world and our need for a Savior.
- Redemption: In Genesis 3:15, we encounter God’s promise: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Even amid the judgment that followed humanity’s fall, this promise revealed God’s compassion,mercy, and redeeming love. From the beginning, He assured us that evil would not have the final word. God’s answer to human sin unfolds through His covenant promises and saving acts. He called Abraham, promising that through his offspring all nations would be blessed. He delivered Israel from slavery, established His covenant with them, and dwelt among them. Through Israel’s history and the words of the prophets, He prepared His people for the coming King who would bring forgiveness and salvation. These promises find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Through His obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, Jesus accomplished what we could never accomplish for ourselves: He bore our sins, defeated death, and reconciled us to God. Redemption reveals the immeasurable grace of God, who comes to rescue His people and restore them to fellowship with Him.
- Restoration: This week, we begin the restoration stage of our journey, looking at how God brings His redeemed people into renewed life and moves His creation toward its promised future. The Old Testament’s promises of a new covenant, renewed hearts, and God’s abiding presence find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Through His resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit, the life of the coming age has already begun. In Acts and the New Testament letters, we see the risen Lord gathering His church from every nation, forming a people who belong to Him, and teaching them to live in faith, holiness, love, and hope. Restoration therefore concerns our lives today: The Spirit renews us, strengthens us to resist sin, enables us to pursue reconciliation, and equips us to bear witness to Christ. Yet this work awaits its completion. We still experience suffering, weakness, and death, but these will not have the final word. When Christ returns, He will raise the dead, judge evil,and bring His people into the fullness of the new heavens and new earth. God will dwell with His people, wipe away every tear, and remove death, mourning, and pain forever. The Bible’s story moves from the garden of Eden to the new creation, where God’s purposes reach their glorious fulfillment. As we begin this stage, let us read with renewed hope: The God who created us and redeemed us will complete His work, and we will dwell with Him forever.
Nov. 8; Stage 4: Restoration
Matt. 28; Mark 16; Luke 24
- Matt. 28: What is the significance of the women's response of both fear and great joy?
- Mark 16: Why did the women flee from the tomb trembling and astonished, and what does their response reveal about the extraordinary nature of the resurrection?
- Luke 24: Why did the disciples immediately return to Jerusalem to share the news of Jesus' resurrection?